Three Golden birds, Two Nordic Snow Birds and a Brave Robin Redbreast
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Three Golden birds, Two Nordic Snow Birds and a Brave Robin Redbreast

I’ve made some new birds inspired by winter just for you!       The Brave Robin There are several different stories about how the robin got his redbreast. I particularly like an Irish folk tale I found which I’ll attempt to retell… It was a harsh and very cold winter and a boy and…

Bones of Saints
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Bones of Saints

Yes, Yes, I know it is one of the songs on Robert Plant’s new album “Carry Fire” ! However, this time it was synchronicity, I had already made these by the time I heard of his new song! If you don’t understand this connection I have with Robert Plant then check out my last post!…

The Robert Plant Guardian Bird of Relics
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The Robert Plant Guardian Bird of Relics

And so to the final one of the six birds! It’s Robert Plant,  our wonderful living rock legend! I thought it would be nice to have someone who is still alive as inspiration for a guardian bird. I chose Mr. Plant because of his connections with Glastonbury and the Abbey itself. In 2014 for the…

Saint Dunstan Guardian Bird of Relics
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Saint Dunstan Guardian Bird of Relics

The penultimate guardian bird of relics made for  the Traces Revealed exhibition at Glastonbury Abbey. Born in Baltonsborough near Glastonbury, Saint Dunstan was guided by the Irish monks in the 10th Century A.D at Glastonbury Abbey. Later he became abbot of the Abbey. When he was canonised after his death, his patronage included metalsmiths, goldsmiths,…

St.Brigid Guardian Bird of Relics
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St.Brigid Guardian Bird of Relics

It is said that the Irish Saint Brigid (of Kildare) visited Beckery chapel just outside Glastonbury in the 5th Century AD. Although the chapel is no longer there I went to find the hill (Brides mound) where it once was. I wish I had been in on the recent excavations where they re-found seven skeletons…

St. Joseph of Arimathea Guardian Bird of Relics
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St. Joseph of Arimathea Guardian Bird of Relics

Legend has it that Saint Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury to spread the Christian faith with the two cruets full of Christ’s blood and sweat. When he arrived he walked up Wearyall (now Wirral) hill and on reaching the top he stopped and exclaimed something like “Since we be weary all here we will…

King Arthur and Queen Guinevere Guardian Birds of relics
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King Arthur and Queen Guinevere Guardian Birds of relics

And so the magic begins! …The Guardian birds have risen from their hidden hollows beneath the Tor . The precious relics tightly carried in their claws, to a place of safety in the Abbey, where pilgrims and folk from the kingdom of Somerset and beyond can gaze upon them in wonder. I chose to use…

The Relics of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere
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The Relics of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere

As I mentioned in the last post I will be posting fairly regularly in the next few weeks to show you my work for the Glastonbury Abbey exhibition “Traces Revealed” The inspiration for the pieces I made came from the abbey’s precious relics that were once in abundance in medieval times but then lost or…

Traces Revealed exhibition at Glastonbury Abbey
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Traces Revealed exhibition at Glastonbury Abbey

I’ve been working flat out for several months and now find myself completely enclosed in a Medieval fantasy. It’s weird how the more you work on a theme the more mad and obsessed you become. However I have nearly finished the exhibits for this exhibition “Traces Revealed“.  I’ll be exhibiting with two  Somerset artists, Alicia…

What do the four seasons, four birds, and a key have in common?
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What do the four seasons, four birds, and a key have in common?

This school was a joy to work with. A small primary school of just over 100 pupils, every child was able to take part in making it. I was sent lots of drawings from the children to use for a design and spent a day sketching possibilities and a final cartoon.  I spent a couple…